


Of Nostalgia and Wonder

by Kiri_Kaitou_Clover



Series: Coda: What is unseen [1]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime 2019), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Ash is mysterious, Ash unconsciously showing off to Gou, Bulbasaur visits, Don't copy to another site, Gen, Gou is also crushing hard, Gou thinks Ash is like Mew, Nostalgia, Post SS003 - Fushigisou Isn't it Mysterious?, he doesn't know it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-15
Updated: 2019-12-15
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:53:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21806947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kiri_Kaitou_Clover/pseuds/Kiri_Kaitou_Clover
Summary: Seeing the Ivysaur and Bulbasaur herd brought back very familiar memories to Ash.An effort is made to spend more time with one of his Pokemon (and maybe impress Gou at the same time)[A story set right after Episode 03 of the new Pokemon Anime.]
Relationships: Satoshi | Ash Ketchum & Gou (Pokemon)
Series: Coda: What is unseen [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1665454
Comments: 18
Kudos: 432





	Of Nostalgia and Wonder

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to [InfernalFox](https://archiveofourown.org/users/InfernalFox/pseuds/InfernalFox) for giving this fic its initial read over (and also joining me in squealing about Gou blushing like mad in the episode).

The day had been fun to say the least. Their first jobs as research fellows, the argument, their first encounter with Team Rocket since Alola (And technically Gou's first encounter with them ever), and then witnessing the evolution of those Bulbasaur and Ivysaur.

Gou had gone to sleep early. Who could blame him with all the excitement that had happened? Plus, The other boy had exhausted himself with the amount of careful climbing they'd had to do.

Ash on the other hand was still wide awake in the dining hall, grinning as he flicked through a few of the photos Gou had taken throughout the day on his phone. Pikachu had curled himself on the table, sleeping soundly. 

In the meanwhile, Ash quietly pondered about how their first job had gone, but specifically how Gou had been throughout the day. To Ash, the other boy was a bit set in his ways and a touch inexperienced when it came to Pokemon and their feelings. He'd done well though, for just his first proper outing, what more with only him and Pikachu to help out. Ash knew the other would definitely become more experienced as time went by.

Looking at the happy Bulbasaur in one of the pictures, Ash was swept up in a wave of nostalgia. The day really had that oddly familiar feeling to it. Especially when he'd seen that group of Ivysaur heading into the distance. It was only after they began to shine with that glow of evolution that Ash really noticed why it was familiar. 

His smile softened as an idea formed in his head and voiced a question out loud, "Hey Rotom? Can you video call Professor Oak's ranch for me?"

"Will do bzzt!"

While waiting, Ash gently picked Pikachu up in his arms and began heading to where he'd seen a Pokemon Transfer Machine in the dorm.

A small chime and a few seconds of ringing later, Professor Oak's face appeared on his phone screen, "Ah Ash! Good to see you my boy! I was wondering who would be calling at this hour."

"Good to see you too Professor Oak!" Ash chuckled, adjusting his arms slightly as Pikachu slowly woke up. "And it's not that late is it?" 

"No, but it is odd for you to be calling, however," Professor Oak hummed. "Have you been settling in well?"

"It's not that much different to settling into Professor Kukui's house. We had our first job today though!"

"The mass of Ivysaur and Bulbasaur, am I right? It was on the news today," Professor Oak gave Ash a knowing look. "You probably want to talk to Bulbasaur today then."

"You know me too well Professor," Ash pouted, but then grinned. "But yeah. Could you send Bulbasaur to the dorms?"

"Very well then," Professor Oak nodded. "It would be a good break for him anyways. I know he loves helping keep the other Pokemon in line, but a day off wouldn't hurt. Now hold on a moment while I go get his Pokeball."

"Thanks Professor!" Ash cheered.

Not a moment later, the Pokemon Transfer System chimed and a Pokeball materialised. Pikachu immediately hopped out of Ash's arms and over to the Pokeball. Sniffing it, his ears perked up as he looked at Ash in surprise, "PikakaPika?"

"Yes Pikachu, it's Bulbasaur's Pokeball," Ash chuckled, then turning his attention back to the phone, where Professor Oak had returned, "His Pokeball has arrived safely! Thanks again, Professor!"

"No worries, Ash! Now, I'm sure you have a lot to talk about tonight, so I'll leave you be," the professor smiled, then hung up.

Pikachu, eager to have their old friend with them for the night, was quick to tap the Pokeball's button, releasing Bulbasaur onto the room floor. The Pokemon blinked at his new surroundings before noticing Ash and Pikachu, giving a cheerful "Bulba!" in greeting before jumping into Ash's arms.

"Good to see you too, Bulbasaur," Ash chuckled as he gently pat the grass type's head. "I was reminded of you today, so I thought maybe we could spend tonight and tomorrow together!"

Bulbasaur tilted his head, curious at the reason why Ash sought him. While they headed back to the rooms, Pikachu began recounting the day's events, and curiosity was soon replaced with understanding in his red eyes.

"Seeing another group of Ivysaur and Bulbasaur evolving today, I was reminded of what happened back on our first journey," Ash smiled wistfully. "You on the verge of evolution, yet rejecting it? While I love watching Pokemon evolve, I think you having chosen to stay the way you were, was _way_ cooler, you know that?"

Bulbasaur smiled in understanding and gently nuzzled Ash, eliciting a laugh out of him, "Haha yeah yeah I get it!"

Finally reaching the room he and Gou shared, Ash opened the door and smiled, seeing the light of the full moon enter through the windows. 

"A full moon. Just like that night. I wonder if there are other Ivysaur and Bulbasaur groups evolving tonight," Ash mumbled as he set Bulbasaur down on his bed before climbing in himself. Pikachu quickly jumped on as well letting out a soft "Cha~" as he curled himself next to an already dozing off Bulbasaur. 

Smiling, Ash muttered a soft goodnight to the two, before falling asleep.

* * *

It was rare that Gou woke up earlier than his own alarm. Then again, with everything that had happened, he'd was glad that he managed to get up earlier. He really wanted to review the data they'd collected yesterday as soon as possible. But first, washing up and getting dressed...

Would have been what he'd done, had Gou not noticed something green next to Ash's Pikachu. On Ash's bed.

Rubbing his eyes, Gou blinked when he realised exactly what was on the bed. 

A Bulbasaur.

...

Wait. 

"EEEEEHHH?! WHY IS THERE A BULBASAUR IN HERE?!"

All that did however was elicit a sleepy groan from Ash, "Gou will you shut up? It's too early..."

"Don't you 'it's too early' me, Ash! Where did the Bulbasaur come from?! Did it follow us in last night? Did you go out last night and catch one? Why is it so comfortable with you?!" Gou yelped as he continued to freak out.

"Gou!" 

He flinched, turning around nervously and seeing a frazzled and annoyed Koharu standing in the door entrance, "Ah... good morning?"

"You woke us all up with the shouting, Gou," Professor Sakuragi chuckled as he came round the corner. "What happened?"

"Ah. It's just... Bulbasaur?" Gou pointed nervously behind him. 

The three turned to look at Ash's bed and then had to flinch. Clearly all the noise making had woken up the Bulbasaur, who was now glaring at them in annoyance. Pikachu on the other hand gave the three a very amused look. Ash... was still asleep. 

"We made that much noise and he's still asleep?" Gou muttered. "Ash will you wake up and explain the Bulbasaur?"

"He's mine..." came the muffled mumble from Ash, having buried his head in his pillow to block out the noise. "Transferred him last night..."

Gou and Koharu just looked at professor in confusion, Sakuragi shrugging, "I'm guessing the Pokemon Transfer system? It is odd though. We should wait till he wakes up for further explanations."

As the three left the room to let Ash wake up normally, Koharu mumbled, "Come to think about it, Dad, why did you accept him as Gou's partner? It couldn't have just been because of the Lugia, right?"

"No, not really," the professor shook his head, "He came along with Professor Oak, and while usually I don't accept personal connections as a reason for recommendation, the fact that Oak had asked him about his insights was a big factor. Clearly he trusts Ash's judgement on things. Which suggests that Ash may be a bit more experienced than we think."

'Definitely more experienced,' Gou thought to himself. 'He didn't even hesitate to start battling with Team Rocket, even at those odds...'

Half an hour later, a yawning Ash finally entered the dining room, Pikachu perched on his shoulders and the Bulbasaur still in his arms as he mumbled out a "Morning"

Gou watched as Ash set the Bulbasaur down on the floor, Pikachu jumping down to join it, and got two bowls of berry and pokechow mix, the two bowls then placed in front of the Pokemon.

With Ash joining them at the table, Gou went on the attack with the questions, "So explain Ash! Where did that Bulbasaur come from? What do you mean by "transferred"?"

"Hmm? Oh was that what all the noise was about this morning?" Ash paused in his eating to respond. 

"Well, you did surprise us with it. I believe Gou was not expecting to wake up to one, much less so soon after yesterday," the professor hummed as he took a sip of his coffee.

"So? Explain Ash!" Gou pushed.

Swallowing a bit of food, Ash responded, "I meant what I said. Bulbasaur is mine. I asked Professor Oak to transfer him over last night."

"So the Bulbasaur is your Pokemon. Starter?" Gou pondered... but then had to blink when Ash, Pikachu and the Bulbasaur just choked and started laughing. "What did I say?"

"Pfft, Bulbasaur isn't my starter Gou," Ash sniggered. "Although I could understand the mistake since Kanto's starters are Bulbasaur, Squirtle and Charmander. Nah, I caught Bulbasaur ages ago."

'Caught. That implies wild...' Gou's eyes widened. "Then why didn't you have it with you? Why just Pikachu?"

"He's been helping out on Professor Oak's ranch," Ash shrugged. 

Professor Sakuragi's eyes widened in surprise, "Hold on. Professor Oak usually has a Bulbasaur helping keep the peace on the ranch. Are you telling me that..."

"Yep!" Ash grinned. "That's Bulbasaur alright, always the peacekeeper!"

Gou stared as the gears in his head turned. Bulbasaur was normally on the ranch. But it had to have been there for a while for it to have a reputation as a peacekeeper. Which meant that Ash would have had it for some time now...

He was startled out of his thoughts at the screech of Ash's chair and his announcement, "I'm going outside with Bulbasaur to train! Gou, you want to come join us?"

Gou blinked at the offer, only able to let out a strangled "Sure?" before he was hit in the face with Ash's beaming smile and getting dragged along.

'What will I see today, I wonder?' Gou thought, as he tried to keep the pace with Ash. 'Maybe this will be a good chance to add more data on Bulbasaur?'

The field that Ash had dragged them to was quiet and far from the bustle of Vermilion City. Still close enough to the lab, but far enough that they wouldn't be interrupted.

Gou watched as Ash asked Bulbasaur to show off what moves it had learned, his phone ready to capture each moment.

'Razor Leaf. Unsurprising,' Gou thought as he snapped a photo of the grass type letting loose the blade like leaves in the direction of a tree. That soon changed into vines extending from its bulb. 'Vine Whip. Again, unsurprising.'

"Now how about Solar Beam?" Ash suggested.

'Did he just say Solar Beam?!' Gou blinked in surprise, then gaped as he watched the Bulbasaur charge up the sunlight for the attack... and unleash the familiar beam of light they'd seen the wild Ivysaur use the previous day onto the target tree... and watched it crack and collapse from the attack.

"Strong as ever, Bulbasaur!" Ash grinned as he raised his hand for a vine to slap, getting an enthusiastic "Saur!" in response.

'Solar Beam's only learned at much higher levels or by a Technical Machine for Bulbasaur. I mean I knew it was strong but this strong?' Gou pondered as Ash then asked Bulbasaur if it had any new moves to show off.

Gou then had to gape _again_ when a green orb formed in front of Bulbasaur's mouth and Ash cheered. 

"That... that's Energy Ball... but you said you haven't had Bulbasaur for a while so _how?!_ " Gou yelped. "You used a Technical Machine right? That's the only way a Bulbasaur can learn Energy Ball..."

"Technical Machine? Nah. Bulbasaur probably learned it from Torterra," Ash shrugged as he patted the grass type Pokemon on his head in praise. "I'm not too surprised really."

"Torterra?" Gou blinked and checked his phone's Pokedex... and gaped at the entry. A fully evolved starter. How... Gou looked at Ash wide-eyed and very much confused. 

How was it that he had such strong Pokemon, and clearly had a lot of experience, and yet be so strangely child like? It was becoming clear to Gou that Ash was most likely older than what Gou had assumed initially. Mysteriously experienced and powerful and yet having that child like joy and demeanor...

Like Mew.

'Wait, why am I even making that comparison?!' Gou shook his head in embarrassment, a blush forming at the thought.

Speaking of experience though...

"Hey Ash," Gou started, causing Ash to stop his roughhousing with Bulbasaur and Pikachu. "If your Bulbasaur is this strong, why hasn't it evolved?"

Gou could immediately see that flash of seriousness in Ash's eyes the moment he asked, the boy actually looking a bit more wistful than anything when he began speaking.

"Did you know that this isn't the first time I've witnessed a group of wild Bulbasaur evolve?" Ash began. "Granted, it was under different circumstances to yesterday, but the situation was similar enough. Bulbasaur was actually on the verge of evolving that night, too."

"It didn't, I see," Gou said as he looked at the Bulbasaur now in Ash's lap.

"No he didn't," Ash chuckled. "Rather it stood up to the Venusaur in charge at the time and refused to evolve like the other wild Bulbasaur. And ho boy were they upset about it."

"But why though? Wouldn't evolving make it stronger?" Gou asked.

"Does it really matter why?" Ash hummed. "I mean, Bulbasaur is plenty strong as he is. It was his choice in the end, and I won't force it."

Gou then turned to look at the Bulbasaur, who was once again charging up another Energy Ball, and choked when he watched the Pokemon swallow the attack instead. Rather than ask Ash (because at this point, he had a feeling the other boy wouldn't explain properly), he instead began videoing the Pokemon as it charged and let loose an even more powerful Solar Beam than before.

Gou wondered if this feeling of awe and surprise would always come with staying with Ash. Someone so strange and with Pokemon even more different.

Either way, Gou couldn't help but grin as he watched Ash and his Pokemon play. He was definitely looking forward to his next job with him.

(And if his crush on the other boy grew ten fold that day, Gou was _never_ going admit it to anyone.)

**Author's Note:**

> PikakaPika = Bulbasaur/Fushigidane in Pikaspeak
> 
> References are made to Bulbasaur's Mysterious Garden in the Kanto Arc, as well as Torterra chomping on an Energy Ball for more power.
> 
> Fun facts I learned with writing this fic - Bulbasaur could learn Solar Beam in Gen 1-3 by level up, but only by TM in future generations.


End file.
